Signal and tail light.



12.0. WOODNUTT. `SIGNAL AND TAIL LIGHT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1,909.

' 936,394. Patented 0ct.1'2,19o9.

i @1' fd# PAUL CLIFFORD WOODNUTT, OF PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK SIGNAL AND TAIL LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1906i.

Application led January 27',` 1909. Serial No. 474,456.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. l, lAci. C. lYoonNUTT, a lcitizen ot' the United States. residing at Port Vashington, in the county of Nassau and State ot' New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Signal and Tail tI Jights, of which the following is a specifical()ll.

My invention relates to signals tor wheeled' vehicles of all kinds and particularly to that type which iS adapted to indicate the condition of motor vehicles.

'i The object of the invention is to provide a device which will prevent rear collisions and which will automatically work to indicate whether'the vehicle is moving or stationary and to also indicate its speed.

The structure herewith shown is also adapted to provide a light whereby the number oi the vehiclel niay be readily seen at night, and to show a permanentgreen light at the side ot' a Vehicle.

W ith these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

1n the drawing Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a device partly in section; Fig. 2 is an end elevation and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line of Fig. 1.

Referring more especially to the drawing- 1 represents a flexible Shaft which is driven in any suitable manner as by gearing connected to one of the axles ot wheels ot the vehicle as is usual. This shaft has its end connected to a. rigid shaft. or journal "2 mounted in the neck 3 of a suitable governor casing et which is mounted upon a convenient part` of the vehicle (not shown).

.t collar surrounds the shaftat the end of the neenr1 3, and a similar collar, G., is connected thereto inside of the casing' for the purpose ot' taking up any thrust oi' the shaft; livoted to the collar, 6. are the oppositely arranged weight arms T of the governor which have connected to them intermediate their pivotal and free ends the links S whose other ends are connected to the slidingcollar 9 mounted upon the projecting end 'of the shaft Q. rthis collar t) is connected to a sleeve 11 which surrounds the projecting' entl 1t) and has swiveled in its outer end a stub shaft 12. Arranged between the collars 9 and t3 upon the sleeve 11 a spiral spring 11a which normally forces the collar 9 outwardly and is adapted to return all the parts to normal ae will hereinaltcr appear. Y

Journaled in the casing adjacent its tor ward end is a shaft 121 carried upon one end i o1l which is a beveled gear 15 which mcshe.` with a similar gear let carried upon the transverse shaft 1o. This shalt and gear have connected to them the crank arni 1T which connected with a stub shalt 12 by a link arm 18. 'l`he outer end of the. shaft 123 has keyed to it a semaphore arm l2) which extends up into the lamp casing 2t) and is provided ith a disk-like head 21 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

The lamp casing is secured as .shown to the outer end of the casing. l. and is provided with a thickened portion at its lower end as shown at 22 to provide a lient-ing;- tor the shaft 13. The top of the casing` is l'ormed on thc are of a circle whose center is the shaft 13 and is provided with the usual ventilating;- cowl Q3. At the lett ltnnd end of the casing an opening; is made and is preferably covered with a green glass. lt. and at the righty hand end otl the casing a similar opening` is formed which is revered by a plain glass, 25. ln thc troni ol the casing' there are provided two openings ad jacent each extremity thereof. the r. hand openintl beinlgr covered with a y glass 26 and the left hand opening;- licht; covered with a plain glass. 231 t suitable lamp, 2H, is mounted witltir t=t= rafmjj throws its h ht through teur ot' the f lasscu '21.23, Ztl and 2i. .lts the disk-like head ot the semaphore arm 1S) normally' cowr's tlte und opening in which the plain l plata-Land as the semaphore is transparent and red. the onl v light visible trom the re: r are two red lights. the red glass 2o is :t permanent danger signal. 2t) being rcd and transparent' covta'ine` 2T normally show thc vehicle at rest.

when the vehicle .starts the :governor is rotated through the sha'l't. l. the weight arms T begin to spread antl draw up on the links S. thus turning' the gear l5 through the collar l). the stub shaft 12, the link lo and the crank arm ll. so as to turn the shalt lil and inove the semaphore arm 19 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. L. When the vehicle attains a speed of approximately tour or tive miles an hour. the semaphore will be in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and will expose both the plain and the red glasses 27 and 2o'. As the vehicle comes to rest the semaphore travels in a reverse direction and gradually covers the plain light. lVhen the vehicle is at rest the plain light 27 is completely covered with t-he red semaphore, thus indicating that the vehicle is standing still, by displaying two red lights. The light is liever interrupted to the glasses 24, 25 and thus a side light and a number light are always provided.

The Casing, 4, has preferably a suitable quantity of oil in the bottom so that as the governor balls extt 1d they splash into the oil and thereby distribute the same to the.

Working parts.

Fromthe foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion Aand the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims. i

Having thus describwl my invention, what I claim as ne and desire to protect by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a signal for vehicles, a rotating shaft driven by the vehicle, a signal light having a plurality of apertures, a semaphore adapt.-

i ed to oscillate so as to cover. certain of said openmgs, and means governed Aby the speed of the shaft for operating said semaphore.

2. In a signal for vehicles, a rotating shaft driven by the vehicle, a signal light having a plurality of'apertures, different colored closures for said apertures, a semaphore adapted to oscillate so as to cover certain of ,said openings, and means adapted by the shaft for moving said semaphore.

3. In a signal for vehicles, a rotating shaft driven by the vehicle, a signal light having a plurality of apertures covered with diferent closures, a semaphore, a translucent colored disk carried by the sennlphore,.con trolling mechanism carried by the shaft, and means operated by the controlling mechanism :t'or oscillating said semaphore.

l. In a signal for vehicles, a rotating shaft driven by the vehicle, a signal light having a plurality of apertures, dilferent colored glass in each of said apertures, a translucent colored semaphore adapted to oscillate across said apertures, a governor.connected io said shaft, and means operated by the governor for oscillating the semaphore.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

PAUL CLIFFORD WOODNUTT. lVit nesses:

(ha'rnlunNn Il. Blumen, ALLEN Innov ax'rnu. 

